Running For Your Life. Literally.

Zombieland

People run for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes those reasons change, but everyone has some point of motivation that drives them to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have all kinds of reasons why I run – and yes, some are more serious than others – but I like to think I could outrun a serial killer chasing me down. There’s always a “survivor” in a horror film!

I’m a huge movie buff and have been my whole life, I especially have a thing for horror movies and sometimes those can play a part in my motivation. Just for fun of course, I like to imagine being chased by someone.

I thought about this a lot more when I first started running, but every once in a while I will watch a movie and am reminded of the ridiculous ways people try to escape from the killer/monster/zombie. I always think to myself, I would just run and run and run. Seriously, what are the chances that this villain can survive miles and miles of a foot chase?

There are a couple races out there that play off this idea, but I’m not sure if I would ever do one, it might ruin my hypothetical chase that I like to keep locked up in my mind. Of course this is all for fun, but it’s definitely something I’ve thought a lot about because it’s hard not to think about when you watch so many horror movies.

What are the top 3 villains I imagine running from?

1. Jason Voorhees. Oddly enough, I grew up watching Friday the 13th movies (I turned out okay) and I am unfazed by them now. Jason moves quickly, but can he run a marathon, especially in a jumpsuit and boots? I think not!
2. Zombies. Most people love a good zombie movie, and again, I grew up watching zombie flicks. Zombies couldn’t run at all in the early days, so I would for sure be the survivor. I mean, zombies can’t survive on Gu and Clif bars, but I could go for hours with these things. Zombies might have to take a break and eat a brain or two to continue on, and I would be long gone by then.
3. Dinosaurs. I know this seems like a strange one, but I have this unnatural fear of dinosaurs. I grew up having this reoccurring dream where my mom and I have to escape from a T-rex in my neighborhood. Running from this one might be a little more tough, but that’s some motivation for speed work, right?

I run long distances to assure my survival, so until Leatherface can run a marathon, I’m going to keep imagining myself as the survivor!

What villain would make you run the fastest? Are you running away from anything literally or metaphorically? Please share in the comment section below.

Author Bio: Stephanie works in the television industry, but is also the head editor of ireallylikefood. She is addicted to running races and writes about her training on her blog Epicurious Runner. She loves to eat, drink good beer, and travel with her husband. Find out more about Stephanie here and follow her on Twitter.